"SPIDEY STRIKES BACK!"
Writer: Stan Lee/Penciller: Steve Ditko/Inker: Steve Ditko/Letterer: Sam Rosen/Editor: Stan Lee/Cover Art: Steve Ditko
Synopsis: After staying out of sight for over a month, Spider-Man swings back into action, taking on the Sandman, and his new allies, the Enforcers...
Review: ASM #19 represents something of a 'back to basics' issue. After the highly experimental and innovative Issue #18, we return to something more conventional: a good, old-fashioned superhero royal rumble, with Spidey taking on more bad guys than you can shake a web at. The story is nothing all that spectacular, but it's something we needed to see: after the rousing final scene of the previous issue, seeing the web-head leap into the fray more than ever is exactly what the doctor ordered, and once again, Ditko goes all out with the fight scenes; Spidey's leaping and rolling and hurtling about more than ever before, and it's a real treat to have a set of villains that are so visually exciting for him to do battle with: always nice to see Sandman, and the Enforcers put on a good show as well. This is the last time we'll see these particular villains in a Spider-Man comic for a good long while, with Sandman making the transition to becoming a Fantastic Four and Hulk villain, and the Enforcers mostly disappearing off the map altogether until making a return in the pages of Marvel Team-Up.
We do of course get some more Human Torch action, although this is mostly confined to the end of the issue after Spidey frees him from the bad guys. You might be getting sick of the sight of the Torch by this point, after he's appeared in three issues in a row - and it's not over yet - but as said, the battle royale that Ditko creates is so much fun that I don't think the Torch's presence is particularly egregious. I do rather like Sandman's nifty way of keeping the matchstick captive, by sealing him in a glass cylinder with only just enough oxygen to breathe, but not enough for him to activate his flame.
Other than that, there isn't much else to this issue besides some really nice little moments: Jameson hearing that Spider-Man is back in action again is sublime, with him beating his fists against a wall once the news reaches him. Flash is the BMOC of Midtown High once again now that his idol has cleared his name. Sandman is captured not by Spider-Man or the Human Torch, but by two eager police officers who refuse to let go of him, no matter how much he changes his shape. The most significant development is our formal introduction to Ned Leeds, Betty's new boyfriend/love interest. During their first meeting, Peter seems entirely unbothered by Ned's presence - he doesn't even have a jealous thought balloon - but in future issues, we'll see a love triangle begin to develop between the three of them, even if Ned is away for a good deal of those issues. I'll come back to the issue of Peter and Betty in a future post, as they're one of the more confusing couples in Spidey history, but right now, we've got more intriguing things to look at, as the issue ends with Peter - not Spider-Man - being tailed by a mysterious man, who reports back to his even more mysterious employer; it's a really fantastic set-up with some beautifully moody Ditko art. If you want to find out who these two are, you don't have to wait very long; it gets revealed next issue.
There isn't a whole lot to say about ASM #19 other than that it's another fun issue. As I say, there's not a whole lot of story, but the usual Ditko action is here in abundance - not to mention a wonderfully rendered sequence of Spidey sneaking his way into the bad guys' hideout past a horde of guards - and it's cathartic to see the web-head take down the Sandman after being forced to flee from him last issue. I'd say this story is also a good temporary send-off - from the Spider-Man books, at least - for both the Sandman and the Enforcers; they get a real chance to shine. Overall, it's an issue that needed to happen, a showcase for Spidey to prove to the world that he hasn't gone anywhere, and if it is a little bit basic as a result, that's not too much of a bother.
Rating: 4/5
Next time, Peter's stalkers are revealed, and a new foe emerges whose strength and power rivals the wall-crawler's own...the stinging Scorpion!
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